Method and apparatuses for locating an expert during a collaboration session

1 . A method comprising:

requesting an expert during a collaboration session;

determining a subject matter of the collaboration session;

detecting a potential participant to serve as the expert; and

inviting the potential participant to join the collaboration session.

2 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising detecting the subject matter based on content shared during the collaboration session.

3 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving the subject matter from a participant of the collaboration session.

4 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising initiating the collaboration session.

5 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising identifying a status of the potential participant.

6 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the status is one of available, unavailable, and undetermined.

7 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the status is one of via a cellular phone, via land line, via email, and via instant messenger.

8 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising contacting the potential participant through a selected communications channel.

9 . The method according to claim 8 wherein the selected communications channel is one of via a cellular phone, via land line, via email, and via instant messenger.

10 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the requesting is performed by a presenter participant.

11 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the requesting is performed by an attendee participant.

12 . A system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store a record containing an attribute associated with a potential expert in a collaboration session;

a content detection module configured to detect a subject matter corresponding to the collaboration session; and

a controller module configured to update the attribute within the record based on the subject matter.

13 . The system according to claim 12 wherein storage module is configured to store the attribute with the record.

14 . The system according to claim 12 further comprising a participant recognition module configured to detect a participant during the collaboration session.

15 . The system according to claim 14 wherein the participant is the attribute.

16 . The system according to claim 12 wherein the content detection module further comprises determining the subject matter from content exchanged during the collaboration session.

17 . A system comprising:

means for requesting an expert during a collaboration session;

means for determining a subject matter of the collaboration session;

means for detecting a potential participant to serve as the expert; and

means for inviting the potential participant to join the collaboration session.

18 . The system according to claim 17 wherein the means for determining includes a content recognition module configured to detect the subject matter of the collaboration session.

19 . The system according to claim 17 wherein the means for detecting includes a storage module configured to store an attribute of the potential participant.